Stefan van de Sande

Whitby Abbey Graveyard Blues

Whitby Abbey Graveyard Blues

What is left of John and Anna
Lies underneath this stone
Rests of clothes, a wedding ring
Their skulls and their bones
I've no idea who they were
And what they did with their lives
The inscriptions only tell
John loved his wife

While the sun throws long shadows
Over this field of graves
Children on the beach below
Endure the ocean waves
I wonder what kind of youth
John and Anna had
Was father telling fairy tales
Before they went to bed

When the monks of Whitby Abbey
Heard the church bells ring
They stopped their prayers, laid down their pens
And start to sing
When John and Anna where on this cliff
Walking hand in hand
They must have heard the monks their songs
Of hope and promised land

Rain and wind have tortured the headstones
Centuries and more
They stood the test of time
Plunder and ravages of war
I like to be in old graveyards
Portals of eternity
I can't win and once they will
Ring the bells for me

Some years after the death of Anna
The son of John died
Way too soon, the little fellow
Went to the other side
Was it hunger, a disease
Came help too late
To grab the young and helpless boy
Out of the claws of fate

Live is a blues that has to be sung
No matter who you are
A king, a knight, a nobleman
The girl behind the bar
Could John and Anna feel the beat
Recognize the melody
Could they write their masterpiece
Compose their symphony

There is a path that leads to the ruins
Of what once an Abbey was
To the church with windows
Made of stained glass
Almost two hundred carved out steps
Bring you to the sacred grounds
Where the stones reveal the truth
Love knows no bounds